


Camelot Academy

by Valkyrie of Camelot (MYuzuki)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-02
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-11-04 17:02:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/396145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MYuzuki/pseuds/Valkyrie%20of%20Camelot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Merlin has just transferred to Camelot Academy, a prestigious private school for knights and nobles. Merlin, however, is neither. He is a magician, one of only a few in the school. And with magic despised by the other students, will Merlin be able to last at the Academy?<br/>[ON TEMPORARY HIATUS].</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Merlin unpacked his bags, already feeling horribly out of place. Camelot Academy was for knights and nobles, not peasants. But he hadn’t had much of a choice in the matter. His mother had sent him to the Academy out of necessity. First of all, his magic. The Academy was the only place in the kingdom where a person could possess and use magic without being killed on sight. It still wasn’t advisable to flaunt it, of course. Magicians were loathed by the upper-class nobility, who took every opportunity to ‘put them in their place’. Secondly, his uncle Gaius was the Academy…nurse, so to speak. Gaius had managed to get Merlin enrolled, despite his being a peasant with no noble blood.

Which was going to cause him no end of grief, he knew. Even the other magicians in the school, few though they were, were of noble blood. He was the only non-noble to be enrolled. Ever.  
And he’d already been singled out for it.

He’d arrived on horseback an hour ago, and had gone to the stables to get his horse settled in. And had run into a duke’s son. Ilvelt, he’d said his name was, the youngest son of Duke Marlain, who ruled somewhere far away.

_“Well, if it isn’t the peasant trash. I’d heard a rumor a piece of filth was going to enroll. I was hoping it was just a lot of rubbish.” The young man sneered.  
Merlin bit back his retort, and instead made sure his mare was comfortable in her stall, checking her feed bag.  
“Did you not hear me?” The man demanded.  
“I heard you.”  
“And?”  
Merlin turned to face the noble, putting on a smile that more often than not provoked anger rather appeasement. “I’m unimpressed.”  
“Oh?”  
“I was rather hoping that such a well-talked about academy would have students who were a little smarter.”  
“Are you calling me stupid?” The noble asked dangerously, advancing on him.  
“No.”  
Ilvelt’s eyes narrowed. “It sounded like you were.”  
“No it didn’t.”  
“It didn’t?”  
“No.”_

The next ten minutes had been spent with Ilvelt detailing the various ways he would pummel Merlin if the younger man talked back to him again. Merlin didn’t think his threats of throwing him down a well or tossing him into a dung heap particularly creative, but nevertheless wanted to avoid such spectacles. As a result he’d managed to put on a submissive face and nod convincingly enough to get Ilvelt to leave him alone. For the time being, anyway.

And now he stood in his room. It was extremely small, but still more than he’d had at home in his village. Bed, bookcase, dresser, cabinet. There was even a small desk crammed into the corner.

 _Everything a student needs_ , he mused. _Pity the school’s full of arrogant jerks._

He finished unpacking his few belongings, and went to find the dining hall. It was late afternoon and Saturday, so they’d still be serving lunch.

He couldn’t help but notice the looks the other students gave him as he walked through the halls. _Who is this street-rat?_ The looks said. _Who is he to be here with us?_

After sitting down in the banquet hall with his lunch (a stew and some bread) he saw a strange spectacle. A boy who seemed to be around his age was being harassed by some other students. The boy had dark shoulder-length hair and lightly tanned skin. He was dressed like nobility, but his clothes were frayed at the edegs, like they’d seen better days.  
“Who is that boy?” Merlin asked, leaning over to talk to a student further down the table.  
The student looked up. “Who?”  
Merlin pointed.  
“Oh. Him.” The student frowned. “Marlet Dorvain. Poor kid. They’re always hassling him. Arthur and his crew are, I mean” He pointed to a tall golden-haired boy who was standing back a bit, but smirking.  
“Arthur?” Merlin repeated.  
He nodded. “He’s the king’s son, which is why no ones dares stop him.” He stabbed at his lunch. “He’s nothing but a bully.”  
“Hm.” Merlin stood up.  
“Hey. Where are you going?”  
“Over there.”  
His eyes widened. “You did hear the part about him being royal, right?”  
“Yeah.”  
“So you realize that if you even go near him looking funny you’re in trouble.”  
“Yeah.”  
The student looked at him carefully. “What did you say your name was?”  
“I didn’t say. But it’s Merlin.” The young magician smiled. “And yours?”  
“Lancelot.”  
“Nice to meet you Lancelot. See you later.”

Ignoring Lancelot’s calls after him, he approached the knot of people surrounding poor Marlet. He grabbed a piece of fruit from another student’s plate as he walked, and lobbed it at the golden haired boy. It hit him in the back of the head, and he spun around.

“Ah,” he said, noticing Merlin. “Someone who thinks he’s clever.” He walked forward. “You do know who I am, don’t you?”  
Merlin nodded. “A prat.”  
“What?”  
“Royal prat,” he amended.  
Arthur gave a strained chuckle and stepped forward.

An hour later, Merlin was released from the infirmary covered in bruises. His uncle Gaius tried to get him to stay overnight, but he wasn’t having any of it. He left as soon as he could, motivated more than a little bit by the threats he’d received from two of Arthur’s lackey’s following his thumping. He heaved a deep sigh and headed for his room.

“I did warn you.”  
Merlin turned, and saw Lancelot leaning against the wall. “Warn me?”  
“Arthur is the king’s son.” Lancelot said, pushing off from the wall. “You didn’t stand a chance.”  
“Yet another vote of confidence. Thank you.” Merlin walked past him.  
Lancelot followed. “All I’m saying is that you should have known better.”  
“Yeah, maybe.”  
“Maybe?” Lancelot repeated, shooting him in incredulous look. “You get beaten black and blue, and all you can muster up is a ‘maybe’”?  
Merlin shrugged. “Is there something you want? Why are you talking to me anyway? You’re a noble.”  
“No.”  
Merlin stopped walking. “What?”  
“I’m not a noble. And neither are you.”  
“Yeah. The farmer clothing kind of gives it away. But you…you’re…” The magician waved a hand at Lancelot’s fine clothing.  
“I’m here under….false pretenses.”  
“Huh. And why are you telling me this?”  
“Because you asked.”  
“No I didn’t”  
Lancelot rolled his eyes. “Not in so many words, no, but you were curious.”  
“Mm.” Merlin continued walking.  
Once again Lancelot followed after. “So…”  
“So.”  
“You’re new here.”  
Now Merlin rolled his eyes. “You’re really on top of things, aren’t you?”  
“I try.”  
“You never told me what you wanted,” Merlin noticed.  
“I don’t want anything.”  
“Everyone wants something.”  
“Yes, I suppose that’s true. But I don’t want anything particular at the moment. Just a friend.”  
“Friend?” Merlin repeated, glancing at the other young man from the corner of his eye.  
Lancelot noticed the look, and openly grinned. “Yes. And you could use one as well, seeing as how you’re picking fights with Arthur.”  
“I didn’t pick a fight.” Merlin grumbled.  
“You threw fruit at him.”  
Merlin just shrugged. “So I threw fruit. There’s no rule that says you need to beat the tar out of someone who messes up your hair.”  
“You’re going to make things very interesting around here.” Lancelot observed.  
“The fun’s only just starting.” Merlin answered.


	2. Chapter 2

“Why was Marlet their target, anyway?” Merlin asked the next day at breakfast. “Who is he?”  
Lancelot looked up from his porridge. “He’s a magic-user. And Arthur’s father is known to hate magic. Since he’s king, his ideas sort of spread around, and now almost everyone has a similar outlook.”  
“Do you?” Merlin asked carefully. If his new ally hated magicians, he’d be in serious trouble.   
Lancelot eyed him, and grinned. “I’d have chosen a strange person to befriend if I did, don’t you think?”  
Merlin blinked, surprised. “You knew? How?”  
Lancelot shrugged. “There’s just something about you.”  
“Is it obvious?” he asked, now worried.   
“No.” Lancelet said reassuringly. “It isn’t. But I knew another magician once, and you remind me of him.”  
“A resemblance?” Merlin asked in disbelief. “You knew I had magic based on my resemblance to some other person?”  
“Well, you confirmed it.”  
The magician cursed under his breath and Lancelot laughed.   
“I’m glad I amuse you.” Merlin muttered.   
Lancelot patted him on the back. “It’s all about having fun, Merlin. With all these rich buggers running the school, personal entertainment is about all we’ve got.”  
Merlin just sighed. “Wonderful.” Then he noticed Marlet grabbing his lunch and not sitting, instead looking around anxiously, as if any step forward would be the wrong one.   
“Do you want another friend?” Merlin asked Lancelot.   
Lancelot frowned, confused.   
“Yes or no.” Merlin added.   
“Yes?”   
“Good.” Merlin nodded. “Marlet!” he shouted, his voice carrying over the buzz of the banquet hall.  
The other boy jumped, startled, and looked over at him.   
Merlin pointed to the empty seat across the table from himself and Lancelot, ignoring the looks the other students were giving him. 

Marlet looked around, frightened. Then he looked back at Merlin, who simply pointed at the empty seat again. The younger boy scurried over and sat down with them, and Merlin smiled.   
“There,” the wizard said, “Isn’t that better?”  
Marlet hesitated, then nodded. “…Thank you.”

Several long moments passed in silence and then….  
“You’re new here?” the younger boy asked timidly.   
Merlin nodded. “I just enrolled yesterday.”  
“Liking it here so far?” Marlet asked in a disinterested tone, as if he were asking ‘What color is that tapestry?’.   
Merlin snorted. “Not really, no.”  
Marlet nodded, and continued eating his breakfast in silence. 

It gave Merlin a chance to better catalogue the other boy’s appearance. His shoulder length hair was a deep dark brown, almost black, and his skin was lightly tanned, like someone who spent time outdoors. He also had bright green eyes, and dark lashes, longer than a girl’s. Add in his high cheekbones, and he was probably some girl’s ideal man. 

“How old are you?” Merlin asked suddenly.   
Marlet looked surprised, but answered. “Seventeen. You?”  
“Eighteen.” The wizard looked over at Lancelot. “Care to add in?”  
“I’m eighteen, too. Arthur’s nineteen.” he added.   
Marlet snorted. “Who cares?”  
Merlin smiled. “My thoughts exactly.”

An hour later, Merlin was sitting in the library, trying to find the books needed for his classes on Monday. Lancelot had left because of a jousting club he was a member of, but Marlet had accompanied Merlin, and the two were becoming fast friends. Without other students around to potentially bully him, Marlet seemed to relax and open up.   
“ The 10 Proper Ways to Address a Lord,” Merlin read off from his list. “A History of Fallen Dukedoms and Why They Failed…you actually read this nonsense?”  
“We’re tested on it every Thursday.” was the prompt answer.   
“Ugh.” Merlin held the book as if they were diseased. “Unbelievable.”  
Marlet gave an impish smile. “Ah, but we must learn all about the nobility of the past and how awful they are. That way we’re already prepared when today’s nobles repeat the same idiocies.”  
Merlin snorted. Then something occurred to him.

“Do they have books on magic here?” he asked.   
Marlet looked over at him, startled. “Why do you ask?”  
Merlin shrugged. “No reason.”  
“You had to have had a reason, otherwise you wouldn’t have asked.”  
“Mm.”  
“Is this your way of baiting me into admitting I’m a magician?” Marlet asked, starting to become angry. “Because you could just ask! I’d be happy to tell you.”   
“I’m not asking because you’re a magician.” Merlin assured him. “I asked…because I am.”

The younger boy was rendered speechless, eyes wide. “You?” he breathed, once the worst of the shock had passed.   
“Me.” Merlin confirmed, turning to blow the dust off the cover of a long-abandoned book.   
“You?” Marlet repeated in disbelief.   
“Yeah. Me.” Underneath the dust the book seemed to be a strange gray color. Frowning, he peered closer at it.   
“You?!”  
“Still me.” Merlin affirmed, then held up the book. “This book used to be green. Can you believe that?”  
Marlet blinked. “What?”  
“I know. It’s ridiculous.” Nonetheless, he added the book to his stack. “So, where were we? Oh, right. Me, you, me, you. Well, just to make it perfectly clear, yes, I’m a wizard. But don’t go advertising it.” he added hastily.   
Marlet snorted, rolling his eyes. “Because I’m very much with the in-crowd.”  
Merlin grinned. “Just making sure.”  
“I’m a magic-user. What possible good could come from my turning on you?” He looked thoughtful. “You’re the only one to be nice to me.” Then he blushed. “That was stupid, never mind.”  
Merlin smiled. “It wasn’t stupid. So,” he continued, clearing his throat, “where can I find some magic books around here?”  
“This way.” Marlet said eagerly, grabbing his by the elbow. “They have some at the back; they’re trying to keep students from finding them.”

Unfortunately, as soon as they rounded the corner they crashed into Arthur.


	3. Chapter 3

_Uh-oh_ was Merlin's first thought. It was his second one, too.

His third thought was _Did he hear us talk about magic?_ and that quickly became his biggest worry.

But looking at Arthur's face, it seemed like the king's son hadn't overheard their conversation. He seemed just as surprised to see them there. The prince quickly changed his expression though, schooling his features into that haughty entitled look.

"Well, what do we have here?" Arthur smirked. "Two little bookworms, buried up to their ears in homework."

"Some of us don't have the advantage of our kingly father being friends with the headmaster." Merlin said, shooting Marlet a don't-freak-out-everything's-fine look.

Arthur snorted. "I don't need my father's influence to pass my classes."

"Oh, sure, sure. That's why you're here, then? To study? It definitely wouldn't be because you were following us."

"F-follow you?" The prince laughed, though it sounded a little forced. "You're just some poor peasant transfer, why would I waste my time following you?"

Merlin arched an eyebrow. "Oh, well in that case…" He grabbed Marlet by the arm, and walked past Arthur, ignoring the books he'd dropped.

"H-hey! Your books-" The prince called after him.

Merlin didn't answer, and soon they had left the prince standing in between the shelves, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'd never have talked to the prince like that!" Marlet whispered as Merlin led him out of the library.

Merlin shrugged. "I'm not you. Besides, I didn't plan to say that. It…just sort of came out."

"Came out?" Marlet repeated, looking confused.

Merlin flushed. "I don't know. I just feel…strange, when I see him. It irritates me."

Marlet frowned. "I'm not sure I follow, but…okay. Hey," he added. "let's go meet Lance. His club should be over by now. We can go for an early lunch."

Merlin nodded, still feeling unsettled. "Lance. Lunch. Sure."

An hour later, Merlin was headed back to his room, after a lunch of fish and mashed potatoes. For him, lunch had been a rather awkward affair. Lancelot had been cheerful after his club, but Marlet was jittery after getting back from the library, whereas Merlin was silent and brooding. Made more so when he noticed Arthur watching him with a puzzled frown. He'd left the dining hall feeling even more bothered than before.

Reaching his room, however, he was surprised by a stack of books outside the door. His stack of books, in fact. Complete with the gray-used-to-be-green volume on local history.

_Arthur must have brought them_ , Merlin realized. _But…why?_ Frowning, he picked up his books, and entered his room. He sat down at his tiny writing desk, and decided to try and get through some of the assigned reading he had to catch up on. Transferring in after the school year had started, he needed to get up to speed. Fast. Unfortunately, Arthur's strange behavior was nagging at the back of his mind, and he couldn't concentrate.

"Stupid princeling." Merlin muttered, trying for the fifth time to read a passage on an earl who'd traded two dozen cows for a statue of gold. "Stupid earl. Stupid school." _Stupid Arthur._

He couldn't understand why Arthur's strange behavior bothered him so. It didn't make any sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is a really short chapter, but at least it's a chapter, right? 
> 
> In any case, I was recently encouraged by a friend to return to ao3 after a long absence. Upon my return I discovered that the few stories I have posted on here, like Camelot Academy aren't up to date with their versions on ff.net (basically, the ones on ff.net have more chapters than the ones on here, which doesn't seem fair, does it?). Therefore, I'm going to update those stories once weekly. I haven't nailed down a specific day of the week yet, but I can promise you that updates will never come on Sundays, since I have no internet access on those days. I'll most likely update Wednesdays or Thursdays, depending on my work hours. 
> 
> In other words, there will be more Camelot Academy in the future, so stay tuned!


End file.
